DCA HITS THE STREETS FOR 3rd ANNUAL BUSINESS EDUCATION DAY:
TEAMS BLANKET SMALL BUSINESSES IN EVERY BOROUGH
WITH INFORMATION ABOUT CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS

Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Dept. of Small Business Services, Elected Officials
&
Business Organizations Team Up to Go Door-to-Door Distributing Brochures and
Answering Questions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 12, 2005

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Acting Commissioner Jonathan
Mintz today launched DCA’s third annual BUSINESS EDUCATION DAY
– an aggressive five borough effort to educate local businesses about
the City’s Consumer Protection and Licensing Laws, without issuing violations.
DCA is targeting ten neighborhoods citywide that have large retail areas or
received consumer complaints. Staff from the NYC Department of Small Business
Services (SBS), elected officials, and business organizations joined DCA throughout
the day. Teams visited hundreds of storefronts, meeting individually with managers
and employees to explain the laws, answer questions, distribute copies of the
DCA’s Ten Things Every Business Should Know pocket guide in multiple languages,
and encourage businesses to call 311 for more information.

“Mayor Bloomberg realizes that the City’s more than 200,000 small
businesses are the backbone of our economy,” said SBS Commissioner Robert
Walsh. “NYC Business Solutions is at the forefront of our effort to support
them, with Centers in all five boroughs and an outreach team that canvasses
neighborhoods throughout the City. We offer free services ranging from navigating
government to accessing financing and incentives to hiring and training workers.
We know that most small business owners do not have time to come to us, and
by going to them we ensure they have the information they need to grow and thrive.”

Neighborhoods visited as part of BUSINESS EDUCATION DAY 2005
include Bay Ridge and Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, East Tremont Avenue and
Boston Road in the Bronx, the Queens Mall in Rego Park/Corona and Main Street
in Flushing, Canal Street in lower Manhattan, Midtown Manhattan, and the Staten
Island Mall and Richmond Avenue in Staten Island. DCA distributed Ten Things
Every Business Should Know pocket guides in English, Spanish and Chinese including
information about:

Businesses that require a DCA license.

Rules regarding refund policy and receipts.

Scales and weighing merchandise.

Posting prices.

How businesses can resolve consumer complaints.

“I commend the efforts of the Department of Consumer Affairs in reaching
out to our Flushing community. Education is key,” said New York State
Assemblyman Jimmy Meng. “As Assemblyman of this district, our office has
indeed received more complaints than acceptable, and the DCA has always handled
each complaint in an expeditious and professional manner.”

Joel M. Dabu, Commercial Revitalization Manager of the Bedford-Stuyvesant
Restoration Corporation said: “Educating business owners in the Fulton
Street business district on the importance of following the City’s consumer
protection laws is critical in building a loyal customer base for Fulton Street.
Having the Department of Consumer Affairs as an active partner in this education
effort will help ensure the continued strengthening and commercial revitalization
of one of Brooklyn’s most important retail corridors.”

Mabel Law, Executive Director of the Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business
Improvement District said: “I think it is important for our business members
to know what the rules are but to also know who to contact and how to follow
the rules in order to conduct good business and build a strong customer base.
I want to thank the Department of Consumer Affairs and Department of Small Business
Services for inviting the BID in this outreach effort and for making the information
available in other languages.”

This year the DCA received more than 6,000 consumer complaints citywide and
more than 62,000 requests for information. Complaints about refund policies,
home improvement contracting, furniture and electronics sales, and debt collection
were among the most common. Routine inspections conducted citywide over the
past year show business compliance with Consumer Protection Laws, specifically
refunds and receipts, is high at 89%.

Copies of all brochures including the DCA’s Ten Things Every Business
Should Know pocket guide in English, Spanish and Chinese are available
by calling 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK) or online at www.NYC.gov/consumers.

DCA’s enforcement squads operate from borough offices located in Manhattan,
Brooklyn/Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx, allowing staff to work closely
with Community Boards and other City agencies to coordinate efforts and respond
to complaints quickly. Over the past three years DCA inspectors have been cross-trained
in a number of areas including routine testing of scales, consumer protection
violations, license checks, and other areas. Cross-trained inspections have
allowed for more comprehensive inspections at each location, resulting in the
elimination of burdensome multiple visits to businesses.

DCA enforces the New York City Consumer Protection Law and other related laws
at thousands of businesses. Fostering a marketplace where consumers are protected
and businesses thrive, DCA licenses more than 60,000 businesses in 55 different
categories. Through targeted outreach, partnerships with community and trade
organizations, and other informational materials, DCA educates consumers and
businesses alike about their rights and responsibilities. For more information
visit DCA online at www.NYC.gov/consumers.

The NYC Department of Small Business Services makes it easier for companies
in New York City to form, do business and grow by providing direct assistance
to business owners, fostering neighborhood development in commercial districts,
promoting financial and economic opportunity among minority- and women-owned
businesses, preparing New Yorkers for jobs and linking employers with a skilled
and qualified workforce. For more information, visit www.NYC.gov/sbs.